Leonard Richards – 50th Reunion Essay

Leonard Richards

1435 N North Park Ave., Unit 1

Chicago, IL 60610

leonard.richards5@gmail.com

312-952-5416

Spouse(s): Beth Richards (1968)

Child(ren): Leonard Jr. (1972), William (1975), Daisy (1977)

Education: BA Yale 1969

Career: Commercial banking, retail real estate development, and asset management

Avocations: High school crew coach since 2009, age group rowing for myself and some golf.

College: Davenport

Upon almost graduating in June 1969, I qualified for my Yale degree at Hopkins during the summer of ’69, got married in August, and started working for a commercial bank in September, fully expecting to be drafted. My pre-induction physical apparently scared the hell out of me and I failed it. My blood pressure was 220 over 190. I got a 355 in the lottery and was then classified IVF.

I spent eight years at the bank, primarily doing real estate lending, and left to become a homebuilder and land developer, which lasted until the prime rate went to 23 percent (so I was working for a bank after all). Then on to a 32-year career in retail real estate development and asset management. I worked for some interesting people, among them Jim Rouse, Sam Zell, and myself. My real estate career ended in 2014, when I retired. Went broke twice during those years (’81 and ’91).

In 2009, during one of several brief career hiatuses I have experienced, I started coaching high school crew. Coaching has been a great experience, and I should have started doing it 50 years ago. Coaching girls’ varsity crew has filled up my retirement hours very nicely.

Most importantly, Beth and I have remained happily married all these years and have three children, all of whom are dearly loved and wonderful, each in their own way. The whole trip would not have been as much fun or worthwhile without my family.